Friday, June 1, 2012

Linkee-poo, one world is enough for all of us

Raymond Chandler with a lovely paragraph about what the reader really wants. Chandler was one of those authors I kept reading while writing Bladesman. And it's one of the lesson I learned, readers care about characters and the experience of reading, the "what happens/action!" part is a vehicle that gets the reader going. Sort of like how coffee gets you moving, but it's not really what you care about. Sure, you have your favorite brand/flavor, but if you're a coffee drinker, if not given a choice, you will drink the coffee being served (YMMV). What you're looking for is the warmth, the caffeine, and the sensation of a hot beverage. You want the experience, the living part. (Grokked from Chia Lynn)

Jay Lake shares an email exchange between him and his copy editor. A good copy editor (and really any editor) is trying to help the team (or just you, if you're contracting the work out yourself) make a better product. That doesn't mean you should accept all of their suggestions, but you also shouldn't dismiss them out of hand. The more you know about the collaborative creative process. One agent rejected my story saying they liked it, but didn't think they could sell it. And that's the real, ultimate goal of this process. To sell stories.

Eric makes with the funny, again. Apparently Mr. Romney has a "natural born citizen" issue according to those who have been fighting to redefine "natural born citizen" to mean two parents who are Americans. I can't wait to see what pretzels the conservatives will attempt to twist themselves into to continue to say, "Our guy is, that guy isn't" without admitting to racism. Remember their clever dance with McCain having been born in Panama.

About Me

I am a writer of Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction. Here you can find some of my thoughts about writing, politics, society, dreams, and anything that comes into my head. Sometimes I drop a Story Bone or two. And then there is the tweeting.

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and should not be considered the opinions of my employers or clients.

Da Rules

Anything put in a post with the title "Story Bone" is up for grabs. If it sets off a story bomb in your head, go for it. I don't claim any right except to maybe write my own story based on the bone. I haven't researched the bones to make sure I'm not trodding on somebody else's toes so use at your own risk. Think of these as free ideas.

Freed Scribblings

The Company of Ravens - First Chapter This is the story that nearly killed me and forced me to start writing down these things in my head. It's still a draft. After innumeral edits this is still at the point I realized I needed more skills to tell the story, and also the point where I realized I could do this.

The Dead Are Busy Released from the trunk in celebration of the first International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day, April 23, 2007.

Storming Heaven This was the first short story I wrote that I felt was ready for publication. Released from the trunk in celebration of the second International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day, April 23, 2008.